Method of treating petroleum emulsions



1933. A. M.'HERBSMAN 1,921,751

METHOD OF TREATING PETROLEUM EMULSIONS Filed June 17, 19-31PatentediAug."8,. l93 3 4 UNIT'IEDL'VSTATES ME HOD or, 'rREA'mNGPE'rnoLnUr/r E ULsIoNs "Abraham M. Herbsman, Huntington Park, Calif.Application June 17,1931. Serial No.15'4'5,15s

- 11 Claims.

My'invention relates to the treatment ofpetroleum emulsions andhasfor-its principal object the provision of a novelmethod of agglomeratingthe dispersed waterphase. in these emulsions so '5 that the, oil in theemulsion. maybe separated from the water and become commercially useful.

It is also an object of my invention to. provide a method ofchemically,treating petroleum emulsions toiremove the water therefrom which .isrelatively inexpensive. i

provide'a'method of treating, petroleum emulsions the effectiveness ofwhich willnot .be decreased by hardness ,of the water the:emul-..

1i sion. v l The process of myinvention involves the treatmentgof a-bodyof petroleum emulsion with an insoluble soap and I have found that thisprocess is much more effective where the soap has been freshly formedjust prior to its use. Y 4 In carrying out the method of this inventionI have found that -petroleum emulsionscan be broken by introducing intothesemetallic fatty soaps, such as stearates and oleates of 1aluminum,

calcium or magnesium with or without-metallic fatty sulphonates that areincapable of softening -The' preferred manner of carrying out thismethodisto mix watersoluble fatty compounds.

or soaps with water containing anjxcess of lime or magnesium salts suohas the ch1orides or bicarbonates or calcium or magnesium so astozpremetallic fatty compounds, and then'introducing the suspension thusformed into'the emulsion to be treated. It is of course to .be'notedthat the precipitants; are not limitedfto calcium or magnesium salts.Any water soluble-salt that will .react witha water soluble soap to forman insoluble metallic soap willserve the same purpose. L;

Thermethod as thus set'forth may be carried 'out by having a'jet ofwater soluble fatty compounds or soaps impinge on a baffleplateisimultaneously with a jet of an aqueous solution of a salt ofcalcium or magnesium or other aqueous precipitant the form of a spray ormist,;an d

then permitting soaps precipitated from this mixture and contained in.the resulting liquid in suspension, to mix with the emulsion.

" Another type ofthe method of'my invention consists in the formation ofinsoluble soaps and the admixture of these with mineral; oil aftervwhich the resulting suspension is mixedwith' -It is a still furtherobject of my invention to (01. glee-4 the emulsion to be treatedThisltype of the methodof myl invention may be carried into 2 effect bythree jets impinging simultaneously on a 'bafile plate, these jetsrespectively directing streams or sprays of water soluble fatty compounds, an. alkaline earth compound, and amin eral oil so thatformationof insoluble soapsin suspension in. oil and water is produced; Thesuspension thus formedispreferably to be pro- .duced'just prioryto thetreatment ofsemulsion and'it is fed into; the emulsion as the suspensionisformedfi" In the; accompanying drawing,

* vFiggl illustratesdiagrammatically a preferred form of apparatusforcarrying out the method of my invention in treating .an emulsionin atank. 1 P

I Fig. 2 illustrates diagrammatically a modified .formof the apparatusshown inFig. 1. j= Fig.3 illustrates a'preferred form .of appa- '75 iratusforucarrying out the method :of my inventionin"treatingfan emulsionin apipe line.

.Referri-ng specifically to the drawing, an ernulsiontreatingapparatus 9is shown inFig. 1, this apparatusincluding a tank 10 having a gasagitating manifoldll and a valve drain pipe 12. Supported anysuitablemanner in the upper end of the tank 10 is a suspension formingapparatus 13 which includes a pan 14 having a. shallow bowl 15'providedtherein and three: nozzles --;A, B, and C positioned overgtherbowl 15so that etheaxes .of these nozzles intersect in this bowl. 7

cipitate the'water soluble fatty-soapsandv com- Q poundsentirely intheform of the corresponding sion-;E. The nozzle Afis connectedto areservoir (not shown) containing an "aqueous solution of a a watersoluble fatty compound under pressure; The nozzle B is connected to areservoir contain- [ing a quantity of a solution ofan alkaline earthcompound or anyother preferred aqueous precipitant under pressure. Thenozzle C is con- 'nected to' a reservoir containing a quantity ofmineral oil under pressure. Suitable valves (not shown) connecting thenozzles A, B, -and C to theirrespective reservoirs are now opened sothat jets of the liquids contained in said reservoirs are emitted fromthesenozzles and-impinge upon the baiile'plate 14within the 'cup' 15.

'Ifhe'mixing ofthese jets as they strike the baflle plate 14 is, almostinstantaneousand this results iin the precipitation of a water insolublesoap the form of a finely divided suspension.

As soon as this suspension is formed it runs down ofi the bafiie 14 intothe em'ulsionE and is rapidly disseminated throughout this emulsion bythe q agitation thereof efiected through the discharge of gas fromthemanifold 11. 1 a I After i the :prbper amount :of 1- treating -liquidhas been tormed and'dischargedinto .theeemulsion E by the apparatus 13the valves of the nozzles A, B, and C are turned oil; the supply of 1gas through the manifold 11 isalso turnedpfi and the emulsion E isallowedtostand' tor a sufiicient period to effect the-'stratification-ofithe" oil and the water releasedby the treatment; Afterv thisstratification,?has taken 51113;.06, first the water and then the oilisdecanted through. the'pipe12 '2 In Fig. 2, I have shown an emulsiontreating apparatus which is practically a duplicate ofemuisiondireatingzapparatusa) shownlin' Fig; 1 (excepting tthattheanozzlezC-is omitted :so that sthe Lemulsion "treating liquidproduced Iinithe .ap- 'eparatus 2O iby the suspension "forming apparatusZI-TthQre Qf 'i'sinot admixed with minera'l oil; i as tthe iappa'ratusv:9. In :atheoapparatus $20, .the

* :ti'ea'ting :agentljs iormed as-a :water solutionacarryingctliasoapisuspension,:but this :is immediately. discha ged"into ithe aemulsion ,E :an'dibeicom'es mixed -with'mineral oil-inatheemulsion. J iflheztreatment of' emu'lsion in rthe apparatus-"20 1 isaccomplished in exactly the same vm'aner-a's j already descrihedzforrthe'hpparatus 9;. an impel itant rfeature cf' :my'. invention :thuscarried Z'out,

fleeing tzthe delivery iofttheflsuspension into" the IcemiilsionzandetheIthorough mixing ofithe suspen-r 1 sion with theemulsion almost V immediately-after tth'ersuspensinihasibe'enfiormed, V1 V In Fig. 3 ,Ihave zshown diagrammatically :an emulsiontreatin'gappa-ratus which isiadapted to-prepease lthe'strea'ting agentand inject=this--into an emulsion, pipe line-:31vas-tlie.treaitirig'agexit sis prepared" The apparatusitflincludes:aftrat- I 1 ,ing sagentipreparing apparatusi33 which is-sub":stantially identical with the appara'tus'f21 and whichaisisupported" ina funnel 341 A high :prefs sur-ecompound pump 35 is connected to 'thefunnelf-ia andito the pipeline 3 1 and" is adaptedito receive remulsion'treatingagerlt fo'rmed by the lapparatusiSB and forces this i-nto thepipe line Y whereitiis ithoroughly n ixed with the emulsion flowing ?inthis :pipe line Eby-the turbulenceof th'e, 1

emulsionitherein. The pump 35n1ay Ice-any well lmOWnpump :adapted forthepurpose of feeding emulsion in :the pipeline, but it is preferred to use:the itypeio'f compoun'd pump shown in the impending application ofAbraham M; ;Heibsrnan *andRodney I13. (Campbell, serial No. 522,378,-filed MarchlIS, 1-931, the puInp B'S being a' fragmentary .dia'gi:ammatic representation of that pump.

f maltreatment of the emulsion byihy method .causes a coagulation of thewater p'haseiri' the emulsion enema-e separation of the 'oiland-Water\in itheiemulsion is preferably effected in the usual 1 manner, ofallowing thejtreated emulsion-- to stand until istratification "takesplace;

T 1 It isra'l so' to hea understood that-chemical-treatmethods gof:chem'icaltrea Among-:ithe dilieren ti r-ment'of aneemulsion in themanner of my invention'imay ialso' be used in -connection"vvith elecitrical dehydration an the same way as other tment are used p manners"in-"which the insoluble soap used in my method for treatment nfernulsionsmayfbe applied to the emulsion are:

feeding the-chemical directly into ,aftank filled of the invention mayalso be performed by the fwhichconsists=in providing, in a liquidtreating "mixing the treating agent with th 3. -A method for treatingpetroleum emulsions ,751 v withemulsion; injecting thel treatingchemical into a pipe line alongwhich emulsion is flowing; injecting thetreating chemical into a well from which petroleum is being produced;and feeding the treating chemical directly into emulsion pass-i ingthrough an electrical dehydrator.

While I have mentioned calcium and magnesium soaps asparticularly usefulin the method of, my inventionyetit is to be understoodthat 7 there arermariy other metallic soaps, such as iron oleate or aluminum stearate,which give as good or better coagulation of the emulsion than calcium ormagnesium soaps.

l flnmy copending application for U. S. Letters Patent Ser. No. 536,496,filed May 11, 1931 on a rmethod of treating petroleum emulsions bycompounds containing a chlorine radical, I have dis {closed a method of"treating emulsions with variou s chlorinated substances, such aschlorinated, V sulphonated fatty oils. In the present inventio'nioilssofthisLkindmayibe used in the treatmerit of- EPGtl'OIBIlIlIIGmUISlOH'excepting that hefore their injection into Athe emulsion all watersoluble asoapaor water softeningcompounds in the chlorinated-oilwould'he precipitatedby mixture therewith ofxwater soluble metallicsoaps. It imay usually be expected that sulphonated oil of this typemayicontain a fatty acid, such as oleic acid; 'whi'ohihas'notbeensulphonated and which is capable of forming a-soapyeither water:so1uble, such1as sodium 'oleat'e'for waterinsolublegsuchascalciumoleate. in-the present meth- 06., use of such,sulphonated 'oil in treating emulsion wou'ld be' deferred until thisoleic acid had been converted into an insoluble precipitate, after whichthe' sulphona'ted oil containing this pre- -cipitate' in suspensionwouldbe applied to the emulsion :fo'r the-treatment thereof.

While Iihave described the methodof my in- .vention, hereinabove' asbeing carriedout by the iprecipitatiori of insoluble-soap and-theintroduction "thereafterof this either in suspension in Waterr msuspension or solution in oil into the emulsion o be t'rea'tedf-l alsodesire it to b'eun- -ders'toodn'atfthe method of-my invention -include'sthe introduction of a water insoluble soap into the emulsion to be.treated, either in the form of a dr y powder-or other solid form' or inthe form o fanoil-solutionof same. Themethod intreduc'tion -of; thechemical in solid form into 011 fOZiIi-ihfOilSolution of the chemical,then mixing-water with thesolu'tion' to form an oil and:waters'uspension ofthe chemical and there- 'after intfod'WhatI-claim-is: Y

1; A me'thc'd for treating petroleum emulsions agent; a highly nascentcolloidalsuspension 'by precipitating a soap therein-and mixing thetreat- 7 ing age'nt with the emulsion as fast as said suspensionisformed. v V 7 I 1 i p 2; A method for treating petroleum,-emulsions{which consists in providing; in a liquid treating agent; a highlynascent colloidal suspension by precipitating a. water insoluble soaptherein and e I v e emulsion as fast as saidsuspension is formed. m

which consists in providing", in a liquidfltreating agent,--"a' highlynascent colloidal suspension by precipitating a water insoluble alkalineearth I p therein 'and mixing the treating'agent with 350 theemulsionasfast'assaid suspension is formed.

ucingthissuspension into-theemul- 139 s'ion 'to 'be-trea't'edp 4. Amethod for treating petroleum emulsions which consists in providing abaflie member di- 7 recting simultaneously upon the member 'jets'ofaqueous solutions ofa water soluble fattygcompound and an aqueousprecipitant to form a suspension, and-mixing the suspension with saidpound and an alkaline earth compound to form,

emulsion as fast "as said suspension is formed.

5. A method for treating petroleum emulsions which consists in providinga bafiie member directing simultaneously upon the memberjets of aqueoussolutions of a water solublefatty comdirecting simultaneously uponthemember jets of aqueous solutions of a water soluble fatty compound, analkaline earth compound, and a mineral oil to form a' suspension,'andmixing the suspension with said emulsion asfast as said suspension isformed. r I

' pension is formed. 7

A method for treating petroleum emulsions which consists in'directingsimultaneously upon a-baflie member jetsof aqueous solutions of a watersoluble fatty compound and an aqueous I precipitant to form asuspension,'and mixing the suspension with said emulsion as fast as saidsus- 9. A method for treating petroleum emulsions which-consists indirecting simultaneously upon' a bafiiemember jets of aqueous solutionsof a' water soluble fattycompound and an alkaline I earth compound toform a suspension, andmixing the suspension with said emulsion as fastas said suspension is formed. 7 v

10. A method for treating petroleum emulsions which consists indirecting simultaneously upon a b aflie inemberjjets of an aqueoussolution of a water-soluble fatty-compound, an aqueous precipitant, anda mineral oil to form a suspension,

and mixing the suspension withsaid emulsion as fast as said suspensionis formed.

11. A method for treating petroleum emulsions which consists indirecting'simultaneously upon a baflle member jets: of aqueous solutionsof a water soluble fatty compound, an alkaline earth compound, and amineral oil to form a suspen- I sion, and mixing the suspension withsaid emulsion as fast as saidsuspension is formed,

" ABRAHAM HERBSMAN.

